Via Adam Rubin of the Daily News:

With their catchers secure, the Mets seemingly can turn their attention to second base, where Luis Castillo is entertaining offers and may land elsewhere. The scuttlebutt among agents is that the Mets are serious about signing David Eckstein to play second base. Eckstein, a sparkplug and the 2006 World Series MVP with the Cardinals at shortstop, has played just 14 career games at second base. Other suitors appear to be St.Louis and San Diego, which also would use the 32-year-old Eckstein at second base.

All indications are that Castillo remains the Mets’ top choice to play 2nd, however, interest around the league appears to be high and the Mets could grow wary if the price tag begins to rise.

Statistically, Castillo (AVG .301 | HR 1 | RBI 38 | OBP .362 | SLG .359) and Eckstein (AVG .309 | HR 3 | RBI 31 | OBP .356 | SLG .382) match up pretty evenly. I’ve always liked Eckstein. He’s a gritty, winning player, as evidenced by his World Series MVP. There were rumblings following the Mets collapse that Castillo had proved a poor influence on Jose Reyes‘ attitude and habits, however, management evidently is unconcerned. Even so, presuming Eckstein can make a smooth transition across the infield, I think he’d be a nice fit behind Reyes in the 2 hole.